St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-06-02
MEMORIAL DAY.
A Successful Observance.---Addr
by Rev. Edward Il. Fairbanks and
Col. George Il. Childs.

was delivered In Music hall Sunday
evening by Rev. Edward Fairbanks
Monday morning a delegation from
Post Chamberlin went to Lyndonville
where Memorial services were held
Monday afternoon the customary out
door exercises were held here followed
by an address in Music hall by Past
Department. Commander George t.
Childs st. Adams, and Monday even
ing the Beethoven choral society rem
dered the cantata, "The Rose Maiden, y
in Music hall. The weather was all
that could be desired and the Observ-
ance was every way successful.
The Memorial Sermon.
Music hall was well filed at the
hour appointed for the evening SER
vice, Post Chamberlin occupying seats
in front of the platform. The hall was
decorated with streamers, the posts
eagle being stationed on one side of
the platform and the colOrs on the 9th :
er. The singing was a special feature
of the service, being rendered by the
Beethoven choral society and sOlOists.
The first number was an anthem "Sing,
oh Heavens" and the second a quar-
tette, "Rejoice the Heart of Thy Ser
want" by Mrs. w. A. Briggs, Mrs. P.
F. Hazen, F. w. Bancroft and HI. H.
May. Rev. II. p. Frost read the Scrip
ture selections and offered prayer.
The sermon was by Rev. Edward L.
Fairbanks and was in his best vein. A
brief extract follows. The text was
from Rev. xix, I1-I6, And saw heaven
opened and behold a white horse; and
he that sat upon him was called
Faithful" and "True," and in right
eOusness he doth judge and make war
And the armies of heaven fol-
lowed Him upon white horses, clothed
in fine linen, white and clean
thigh a name written, "King of Kings
and Lord of Lords" This is one pic
ture of a series grouped in panoramic
order. 1t hangs with its fellows in the
sacred gallery whose builder and fin
Usher is God. We shall enter the gall
lery by the door that opens front of
this panel, but the series leading up to
it must also come under view, other
wise we miss the full meaning of it.
We have a sort of cyclorama of actual
life, portrayal of earthly event and
circumstance, but with a sweep high as
heaven and longer than the measure
ment of time.
First, the military scenery. Army
veterans would be likely to linger II
moment at this panel of the mounted
leader in front of his armies, the
"Grand Army" you would say. Look
at the grand commander on his white
war horse, covered with crowns, tro-
phies of many fields. See his vesture
stained with blood look how the fire
shoots from his eye! And after Him
the mounted cavalry of heaven, uni
battle and larger victory. On the 9th
er side coming up out of capacious
pit, enveloped with smoke and with a
sound of rafting chariOts are swarms
of human-h headed scorpions led by
chief angel of the pit. Now
suddenly appears the war bulletin,
MiohoaI on1 hiS
gels contending with the dragon and
his angels" The pomp and circum-
stance are all there. Bugle trumpets,
iron plated armor, chariOts, the tramp
of millions of horse, strategy, tactics,
mastering of new companies, -hOrdes
of cog and magOg besieging the camp
of the saints. But what is the mean
ing of all this ? We have here con-
hict of ideas. 1t is not the mere Crap
pie and tussle for power on that field
the Bible does not enter. But, where
a principle is up, where truth and
right are challenged, the Bible speak
ing for Jehovah "hath controversy"
a fight between goodness and badness,
and sin, truth and false
hood. We might have had peace after
Bull Ran, the sort that figures on pa
per, but between the states of Union
rent in twain there is no
peace. SO we believe ON earth, no
peace till every issue of right is fought
out and settled.
In the second place attention was
called to how sharply the sides in this
Bible scenery are cOntrasted. In Or
binary warfare both sides bid for pOpu-
lar recognition. Sometimes it is pretty
easy to see which carries the most just
cause. But even then there may be
high personal worth on either side.
But looking again at these war scenes
we find no mixing of quality or balan-
cling of worth between the sides. They
are actually, totally apart in point of
quality. On one side the actors (men)
are noble, dignified, attractive. The
himself a man, is magnifi-
cent. On the opposite side you find
find the reverse. In the foreground
Death on the pale horse, and on the
field regiments of nondescripts, with
mems faces, locusts' bodies, women's
long hair, lions teeth, scorpions tails.
Here, too, is the great red dragon, the
headed leopard, the 2-hOrned beast,
that stand for combinations of men,
men who are in league to do bad
things. In all these contrasts a radical
character difference is insisted on.
After picturing the ugliness of sin the